By Jeremy Redmon

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

More than 10,700 young people in Georgia were employed through a summer jobs program this year with the help of $26 million in federal stimulus funding, according to the state Labor Department.

The money helped support the Georgia Summer Training & Employment Program, Unlimited Potential.

The participants’ ages ranged from 14-24. Most worked six to eight weeks, earning an average of $1,500 to $2,000 this summer. And their employers included Georgia Power Co., CVS, Fort Benning and school systems across the state.

“During these unprecedented economic times, wages youth earned this summer provided vital necessities such as school supplies, utilities, rent, and food for families,” Georgia Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond said.